obtain

Compared meaning: to come to have something (verb).

比较义项：得到、获得某物（动词）。

• get

  "Get" is the general, informal, everyday word for acquiring something in any way — buying, fetching, receiving, or achieving; it works in almost any context and is the default choice in casual speech.

  “Get”是获得某物最通用、最口语化的说法，无论是购买、拿取、收到还是达成目标都可以用它；它几乎适用于任何语境，是日常口语中的默认用词。

  I forgot to get bread before the shop closed for the day.

  我忘了在商店打烊前买到一些面包。

• obtain 本词

  "Obtain" is formal and suggests effort, application, or an official process is needed, often paired with words like "permit", "licence", or "permission"; it is rarely used in casual speech.

  “Obtain”比较正式，通常暗示需要付出努力或经过某种（官方）手续，常与“许可证”“执照”“许可”等词搭配；不用于随意的口语场合。

  You must obtain a permit before starting any construction work.

  在开始任何建筑施工之前，你必须获得许可证。

• receive

  "Receive" implies something is given or sent to you by someone else — you are the passive recipient, not the one who seeks or works for it, as with a letter, gift, or package.

  “Receive”强调某物是别人给予或寄送给你的，你是被动的接收者，而不是主动寻求或努力获得的一方，例如收到一封信、一份礼物或一个包裹。

  She was delighted to receive a handwritten letter from her old friend.

  收到老朋友寄来的一封手写信，她非常开心。

All three mean coming to have something. Get is the most common, everyday, informal word. Obtain is more formal, often implying effort or an official process. Receive stresses passively being given or sent something by someone else. Not compared: get's other meanings, 'become' and 'arrive'.

这三个词在“得到某物”这个意义上很接近，但语气和方式不同：get最通用、最口语化；obtain更正式，常暗示需要努力或经过手续；receive强调被动地收到别人给予或寄来的东西。这里不比较get的其他常见用法，例如“变成”（get angry）或“到达”（get home）。